By: Bailey Martin
October in Owings Mills and the Greenspring Valley means leaves changing colors, pumpkins being picked, the weather turning sharp and cold, and dressing up as your favorite character. Halloween is on the way.
For Stevenson students looking to celebrate the season, there are many farms and orchards close to campus with fall activities to get the good times going.
Weber’s Cider Mill Farm, Baughers, Larriland Farm, and Butler’s Orchard range from 20-46 miles away from the university, but each one offers activities for everyone in the group to enjoy.
Less than a half-hour away, in Parkville, is Weber’s Cider Mill Farm. From September 18 through November 7, guests can enjoy their Fall Harvest Day celebration. Tickets must be purchased online ahead of arrival, but general admission tickets include hayrides, duck races, straw mazes, barrel train rides, farm animals, and more. However, no fall festival is complete without picking out a pumpkin, which guests can do as well, finding a jack o’lantern grown right on the farm.
For those visiting on the weekends, guests can enjoy food trucks from 11 a.m.-5 p.m., live music from 12 p.m.-4 p.m. until October 31, facing painting, and more. Be aware that some of their weekend activities are at an additional charge.
Those interested in buying general admission tickets can visit http://www.weberscidermillfarm.com/webers-farm-barnyard-family-fun.php for pricing.
Baughers in Westminster, Maryland is only a 35-minute drive away, and is the perfect place for those looking for a fun weekend day trip. During the month of October, the orchard welcomes guests on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. for fall festivities.
From apple and pumpkin picking, to make-your-own scarecrows, hayrides and petting zoos, your party is sure to have a fun-filled day. Their weekend festival also offers food trucks, apple cider, and live music. Baughers encourages people to stop by their orchard market from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. every day for baked goods, treats, fresh-picked apples, and more, to celebrate the harvest all week long.
Larriland Farm is only about 40 minutes southwest of Stevenson. During the month of October on Saturdays and Sundays, the farm offers apple and pumpkin picking, hayrides, food trucks, and a straw maze. Some of these activities have a fee attached to them.
On weekdays groups of 20 or more people can reserve a time for a private pumpkin hayride and finish with a trip through the straw maze. For groups that enjoy hanging out by the campfire, guests are encouraged to reserve an evening hayride. Both of these are perfect for Greek Life Organizations, athletic team bonding, or just a group getaway to relax from the stress of school. For those interested in scheduling one of these group excursions, people are encouraged to register online or call their hayride hotline.
Although Butler’s Orchard is the furthest away from campus, almost a full hour away by car, it definitely won’t disappoint. Their annual Pumpkin Festival is open for business from September 25-October 31, Wednesday through Fridays from 1 p.m.-6 p.m., and on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Admission costs $10 on weekdays and $15 on weekends per person, and they encourage guests to purchase their tickets ahead of time online. When visiting the orchard one can enjoy hayrides, pumpkin picking, a corn maze, giant slides, food and drinks, pony rides, and more.
Their annual Pumpkin Festival has been going on for decades and has only grown in size. The hayrides take guests on scenic rides over their 300-acre farm, the 2 pumpkin fields offer various size pumpkins perfect for carving jack-o-lanterns, and the apple cider and kettle corn are a perfect fall treat to end the day. With activities for every generation to enjoy, it is worth the almost hour drive from campus.
